Harmonious Magic
by just-the-worst
Summary: As Pinkie Pie grows older, she comes to realise that she and the rest of the Mane Six are growing apart. Searching for answers, she decides to attend a university program, "Harmonious Science". Alternate S3.
1. Prologue: A Startling Announcement

_Author's Note: Hi all! I wrote a fic once when I was 14. I've never tried again, even though it was reasonably well-received (especially since I was 14...). I have a bit of time on my hands, so I figure I might as well give it another shot. MLP is of course the property of Hasbro and the characters are clearly not my intellectual property. Just in case you were wondering. Also, fair warning, I'm totally making this up as I go along, though I do have a loose plan. So if I take a while to write chapters, that's totally why. _

"I can't believe that the two most frivolous ponies in Ponyville are trying to tell _new_ Fluttershy how to live her life when they are throwing their own lives away on pointless pursuits that _nopony else gives a flying feather about_!"

Long after Fluttershy had learned to be properly assertive, those words haunted Pinkie Pie. She would hear them in her head, as she restlessly tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

_"Why do you exist?"_

Though she kept trying to maintain a smile for her friends, Pinkie soon found herself unable to answer this question.

As her friends grew older, many of them became closer with each other than they were with her. Her relationship with Fluttershy had never been quite the same after her training with Iron Will. Pinkie knew that Rarity didn't really understand her jokes, or her parties. She wasn't blind to how Rainbow Dash would prioritize the Wonderbolts, or even Applejack and Fluttershy, over her.

Despair became her constant companion. And for Pinkie, the worst part was this: not a single one of her friends seemed to notice. Her dear friends, for whom she would gladly face any danger, completely failed to notice her less than gradual descent into darkness.

"You know, I'm thinking of going back to Canterlot," said Twilight, over tea one afternoon. At once, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack began to choke on their less-than-dainty-sized sips.

"WHAT?!" Rainbow exclaimed, as she leapt about three feet into the air.

"You can't leave now!" blurted Pinkie, as she tried to keep the desperation out of her voice. And the tea from her lungs. _"Man, tea in your lungs really HURTS"_.

"What about yer duties as the Element of Magic?"

"Girls, please," said Twilight, with a slightly irritated look on her face. "Do you _really_ think I would shirk on my responsibilities to you and _all of Equestria?"_

With that said, Twilight quickly launched into "speech mode". She stood up and began to pace, tapping her feet for emphasis.

"Furthermore, it is actually very important that I take my magical training seriously. I am after all, the _personal protégée of __**Princess Celestia herself,**_" with that said, Twilight paused her pacing and gave her friends a very serious glance.

"Education is an IMPORTANT matter. We are all of approximately the correct age for university studies. I suggest that _you all_ investigate programs that may be of interest to you".

Rarity shied away from Twilight's intense glance, Pinkie noticed. Rainbow Dash, predictably, rolled her eyes. Fluttershy was listening, with apparent interest.

"Sorry hon, but fancy university learnin' isn't really a reality for us Apples" said Applejack. "I appreciate your advice though, all the same".

"You can enjoy EGGHEAD school, but you know I'm WAAAAY too cool for that 'university' junk". Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively.

"I might think about it. Maybe a nice veterinary program might help me learn to take better care of the animals around here," replied Fluttershy, a thoughtful look on her face.

"All those _new_ ponies though…" she shuddered.

Rarity still appeared to be avoiding both Twilight's eyes and the conversation going on around her. She seemed to be picking at the ground with her hoof. Pinkie could tell that she was the only one who noticed her friend's odd behaviour, however, as the others were paying more attention to Twilight than Rarity.

Pinkie sighed, quietly enough that she was sure no one would hear.

"What sorts of programs do you think might be out there for an Earth Pony like me?" asked Pinkie.

Twilight was clearly trying to contain her shock.

"You see, my sister, Maud, does Advanced Sedimentology at the University of Waterneigh. They do a lot of environmental analyses. My sister sure does want to make the world a cleaner place!" Pinkie smiled as she thought of her sister, who was using their terribly dismal background to try to improve Equestria's environmental practices.

"Wow, Pinkie, I had no idea you had a scholar in your family!" Twilight's eyes gleamed excitedly.

"Yeah, Maud's pretty great," replied Pinkie, glowing with pride.

Twilight paused for a moment, brows furrowed in thought.

"…well, if you're interested in science like your sister, I've heard about a new program that's starting over in Hooferton. They call it 'Harmonious Science'. They say they want to work on scientific problems using a variety of different thinking styles. And with your capacity for _flexible_ thinking, you might be a good fit!"

Twilight's eyes shone as she made this recommendation. It was clear that _she_ thought "Harmonious Science" was cool beyond cool.

"…do you really think they'd take someone like me?" asked Pinkie, doubtfully.

"Of course they would! You're one of the ELEMENTS OF HARMONY. You've got a good working resume from your time with The Cakes, too," Twilight stomped a hoof excitedly.

"…I might just look into it then," said Pinkie, softly, a small smile reaching her lips.


	2. Chapter 1

The next day, Pinkie knew that she had to get her priorities straight. Firstly, she knew needed to talk to Rarity about why she was so upset about Twilight's announcement. She knew she needed to be discrete about this, however. Unsure about how to proceed, she did what came naturally to her.

By 7 AM, Pinkie had finished strapping the balloons to her back. From there, it was a difficult walk to Rarity's. It took about three times as long as it should have, as low hanging tree branches were suddenly **_demon arms_**_, ready to pop balloons at a moment's notice_. Pinkie knew that she had to be VERY careful not to pop any of the balloons, or else it would ruin the _perfect__ buoyancy_ she had managed to calculate through years of research (and hundreds of face-plants).

Once she had finally awkwardly waddled her way over to Carousel Boutique, Pinkie breathed in deeply, and then launched herself into the air. She managed to launch herself up to the second story, where she hovered, balloons, and the air in her lungs allowing her to maintain a relatively level height. She rapped on the glass.

It was clear that Rarity had already been awake, as she answered immediately.

"…oh my lord. Pinkie?"

"HI RARITY!" said Pinkie, exuberantly, glad that her scheme had worked so well. As she spoke, she began to drift downwards, gently.

"…not that it's not great to see you, but can I ask what exactly it is that you're doing _here_" As she spoke, Rarity gestured to the space outside her window.

Pinkie hadn't really planned exactly what she was going to _say_. She was forced to show some of her more vulnerable side:

"… I was hoping we could talk about Twilight's announcement…", Pinkie said quietly.

Rarity paused for a moment, appearing to appraise the situation.

"I see," she said gently.

"Come on in, I've just put a nice pot of tea on. I'm not really expecting customers for another few hours anyway."

By this point, Pinkie's feet were touching the ground again.

"Thanks Rarity! One sec, let me just stash these balloons!" Pinkie approached the tree near Carousel Boutique, otherwise known as HIDEY HOLE #43. She deposited her balloons and withdrew a clown nose. She was unsure if it would come in handy later. At the very least, it could act as a good luck charm, she reasoned.

Pinkie entered Carousel Boutique, a small smile on her face as she noted all of Rarity's recent creations. Of note, there was an off-white dress studded with emeralds that seemed particularly glittery. This was the only real criterion Pinkie had for evaluating Rarity's dresses.

"Wow, Rarity, your new dresses look as glittery and shine-ery as ever!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly.

Rarity smiled.

"Why thank-you Pinkie. It's nice to know that **_somepony_** appreciates my work".

The two sat down at Rarity's kitchen table, steaming mugs of tea in front of them. Little lemon cakes had been placed on what looked like fine china.

"Some big meanie-pants refusing to appreciate you?"

A pensive look crossed Rarity's face.

"Something like that".

The pause that then occurred had apparently been impregnated, Pinkie noted. She smiled at this thought, though she knew that she wouldn't be able to articulate her joke without sounding completely insane.

"I wonder what we're going to do without Twilight. I'm gonna miss her _so_ **much**", said Pinkie, hoping the slight change in topic might steer the discussion a little, away from Rarity's apparent difficulty with her customer. Pinkie was surprised to hear her voice crack a little on the last two words.

Rarity had come prepared with tissues. She quickly passed one over to Pinkie.

"…thanks Rarity."

"Well, dear, I think all of us are approaching a time of transition in our lives. Rainbow Dash is preparing to enter the Wonderbolt Academy, and Applejack has been taking on more responsibilities at the farm each annum. You heard how even _Fluttershy_ is considering studying abroad". Rarity sipped her tea, delicately.

"…I know. It's just hard"

"Which part in particular troubles you?"

Pinkie paused, unsure if she was ready to articulate how she really felt. She decided that she was done beating around the bush.

"Do you ever feel like we're being left behind?" Pinkie asked, making direct eye contact with Rarity.

Rarity froze, clearly suddenly unsure about how to deal with the direction the conversation had gone in.

"It's just that it looks like all of our friends have all these _opportunities_ lined up. And who am I? I'm just a pastry chef who throws parties."

"…if I'm being honest with you Pinkie, I've felt much the same way," said Rarity, slowly.

"When I started Carousel Boutique, I expected that my career prospects would take off _immediately_, but I have little to show for the hard work I've put into _each and every one_ of my creations. I've been working at this for **years**".

"…but now I find myself wondering if my business will ever take off. My customers are often dissatisfied with my work, but I've invested so much time and money into Carousel Boutique that I can't possibly leave it now. But what do I tell my parents? My finances are starting to run a bit dry, but they're so **impossibly **proud of me. How can I tell them that… I'm not…", Rarity trailed off, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Oh Rarity," said Pinkie Pie, as she pulled her friend in for a hug.

"That sounds like a lot of pressure to be under," Pinkie murmured as she pulled away.

"Is there any way you could get Spike to help you with some of the day-to-day? It might take some of the pressure off…" Pinkie suggested, not sure if her idea would actually be of use.

"…you know, that might not be a terrible notion. He'll have to decide if he wants to stay in Ponyville, or travel with Twilight to Canterlot, though".

"Poor Spike, this is probably going to be hard on him too".

"I'll let you get back to work though. It sounds like you have a lot to do…" Pinkie nibbled at a lemon cake. She found it to be very sweet and satisfying after the emotionally heavy conversation.

"Before you go, I just want to make it perfectly clear that I'm glad you came by for this little chat. If there's anything YOU need, don't hesitate to ask me, alright?" Rarity gave her a sideways look as she picked at her lemon cake.

"Thanks Rarity, that means a lot"

With that, Pinkie picked herself up to leave the Boutique, and into the rest of the day that awaited her.

_Author's Note:_ _I had been planning on having more "events" in this chapter, but then Pinkie's discussion with Rarity became rather long, and that seemed like a good breaking point. Thanks for reading my fic up until this point!_


	3. Chapter 2

_Hi all. This chapter was really boring to write, which is why it took awhile. Hopefully it will be less boring to read..._

Pinkie's next goal was to learn a little bit more about this "Harmonious Science" program that Twilight had mentioned. She was nervous though. Why would a university take a pony of _her_ calibre?

Donning her clown nose for luck, Pinkie trotted her way to the Ponyville Library, noticeably less bouncily than usual. She knocked at the door, which opened after a short pause.

"Oh, hey Pinkie! Nice nose!" Spike said cheerily, waving up at her. He let her in. He began chopping vegetables almost immediately.

"Good morning Spikey! How are you? Where's Twilight?"

"Oh, I'm good, just finished polishing my scales. I'm looking _real_ good today! Twilight's going to be out meeting with Mayor Mare for about another half hour. I'm making brunch so it'll be ready for her when she gets back. You could join us if you'd like…?"

"I can see you've polished them! Though really, it looks more like I'm looking at myself when I look at you, which just goes to show exactly how shiny you are today!", Pinkie exclaimed, clapping her hooves together excitedly.

"…right… was there something you wanted?" asked Spike, brow furrowed, as he paused in his chopping to puzzle out what her reply meant.

"I was actually wondering if you knew anything about 'Harmonious Science'" _Maybe this will be easier if I don't have to talk to Twilight about this directly. She's sooooo much smarter than me…_

"OH! That's that new science program that Twilight was rambling about, right?"

"It is!"

"They mailed us some pamphlets actually. I'm surprised _you're_ interested though…"

"Why?".

Spike seemed to realise his faux pas immediately. He began to backpedal:

"It's just that you seem so happy in Ponyville Won't you miss everyone if you leave?"

_Yeah. So YOU think. Is there a single creature that __**actually**__ cares enough to notice?_

"I'll keep in touch!" Pinkie said, voice strained with repressed bitterness.

"I know I'm going to miss everyone when I'm gone…". Spike's gaze fell to the ground, suddenly fascinated by a nearby rock that had been left as a doorstop.

"You could stay in Ponyville if you wanted, you know", Pinkie said softly.

"Really?" asked Spike, as if the idea hadn't occurred to him. He resumed chopping the vegetables.

"Yeah. I know Rarity would really miss you if you left, and you know Twilight is planning on coming back to Ponyville. Doesn't someone need to run the library?"

"You're RIGHT! I could take care of the library so she doesn't have to worry about it!" Spike's eyes gleamed at the thought.

"Thanks Pinkie Pie! You're the greatest friend a dragon could ask for!". He gave her a quick hug, and Pinkie's eyes welled with tears.

"You're welcome, Spikey!" said Pinkie, with genuine exuberance. "Where are those pamphlets you mentioned?"

"Oh, they're just on the table. Feel free to take one, Twilight clearly doesn't need them".

Pinkie grabbed one of the colourful-looking pamphlets and stuffed it in her mane.

"Thanks for the pamplet!" said Pinkie, as she turned to leave.

"See you later Pinkie! I'll tell Twilight you stopped by!"

Pinkie decided that her best course would be to retreat to the safety of her room to examine her new information. She spread the pamphlet out on her bed.

Taking a cursory look at the pamphlet, the "FAQ" section caught her eye:

**1\. What is Harmonious Science?**

_Harmonious Science is an innovative new program run by program director, Icy Heart. She works with a team of instructors to provide a challenging and inter-disciplinary program. Students work in teams on a variety of projects, which have themes ranging from "Ecological Interactions" to "Space Exploration"._

**2\. What are the benefits of an education in Harmonious Science?**

_Students educated in Harmonious Science will develop a variety of skills. They will learn how to collaborate with others, manage long-term projects and communicate to a variety of audiences. _

**3\. How do I apply to Harmonious Science?**

_Individuals interested in our program must write the "Standard Education Admissions Test" (SEAT). They must also submit a supplementary application, containing written answers to the essay questions included on this pamphlet. The test results, and the essay questions must be mailed to our mailing address (as written on this pamphlet) no later than __JUNE 31__st__. _

Pinkie took a quick glance at her calendar to remind herself of the date: April 12th. _Okay. I have plenty of time if I wanted to prepare for the SEAT… I wonder what sorts of "supplementary" questions these ponies want to ask their students…_

**1\. Why are you interested in "Harmonious Science"?**

**2\. What is the most important lesson you have learned in life thus far?**

**3\. Who is the most inspirational pony to you? How have they inspired you?**

**4\. If you were a celestial body, which would you be, and why?**

_Wait. What is that last question? Who the heck are these ponies? Why are they asking such a weird question? Now I kind of just want to write that essay for the sake of writing that essay. _

Pinkie shook her head.

_NO. That is NOT the basis for a life-changing decision such as university, Pinkie Pie. Bad girl!_

There was a knock at her door.

"Come in!", Pinkie bellowed, as she regained her composure. Twilight entered the room, beaming from ear to ear.

"Hey Pinkie Pie! Spike told me about how you picked up one of the Harmonious Science pamphlets!". Her eyes shone with excitement.

"…so…", Twilight paused briefly. "WHAT DO YOU THINK?!" asked Twilight, clearly unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

"ISN'T IT JUST THE COOLEST LOOKING PROGRAM EVER?!"

"Oh my gosh, YES!" replied Pinkie Pie, with gusto.

"WHO DOESN'T WANT TO LEARN ABOUT SPACE EXPLORATION?", she continued, excitedly.

"…I don't know though. It sounds like they're looking for really smart ponies…"

Pinkie sighed, sitting down on her bed, sullenly.

Twilight sat down beside her.

"Why don't you think you're smart enough Pinkie?" she asked, softly.

"Aren't they looking for scholars like you? I'm just a pastry chef. I don't know anything about anything". Pinkie avoided looking Twilight in the eye.

"Pinkie. Look at what their requirements are: just the SEAT and the supplementary application. The SEAT is mostly general knowledge. I can help you prepare, if you'd like. And tell me, does the supplementary application really look like anything you can't handle?"

"Really, you'd do that?"

"Pinkie. Do you really think that getting the chance to help advance my friend's academic career isn't MY WILDEST DREAM?!"

Twilight chuckled, and Pinkie couldn't help but join her.

"Thanks Twilight. I feel a lot better". Pinkie smiled.

"How about we get started tomorrow? I have some time in the mornings. How about you come to the library at about 9:30".

"That sounds splenderific! THANK YOU SO MUCH TWILIGHT!"

"Anytime, Pinkie, anytime".


	4. Chapter 3

Pinkie knew exactly what she wanted to do next. **SHE NEEDED TO TELL RAINBOW DASH EVERYTHING!**

She closed her eyes and listened carefully. Dashie was convinced that Pinkie had some sort of "finding Rainbow" superpower. The reality was that Rainbow Dash was not a quiet sleeper. Really, anypony who listened carefully enough would be able to find Rainbow Dash easily, at almost any hour in the afternoon.

"AHA!" Pinkie exclaimed, as she heard distant snores coming from a cloud above a nearby tree.

"OH RAINBOW DAAAAASH", she yelled in a sing-song voice.

"Wha? Ten more minutes…" Rainbow mumbled.

Pinkie knew that she needed some way to rouse the sleepy Pegasus. Pinkie had a few ideas about how she could do this. She had a jar of bees, which she could throw at Dash. She quickly rejected this idea. The bees were for a _real_ emergency. This was urgent, at best. She also had some water balloons left over from when she'd had a big water fight with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She wasn't sure she'd be able to hit Rainbow though, as high up as she was. This left her with her final plan of action. It was time to bring in the cannon.

Pinkie carefully positioned her body in the cannon. She had considered putting herself in a barrel, and then launching the barrel, but she felt she didn't really need to be particularly aerodynamic for this little launch. She also reasoned that if something went wrong, it would be a lot harder to recover if she were trapped in a barrel. She had placed a trampoline at the bottom of her trajectory, in case Dashie didn't catch her the way she expected she would.

"Safety first!" she chirped.

"Okay, Pinkie, you're ready for liftoff in 3, 2, 1…" she muttered to herself.

And with that, Pinkie was flying through the air.

"WHEEEEE! CATCH ME RAINBOW!" Pinkie yelled, as she soared towards the cloud that Rainbow Dash was occupying.

"…Pinkie Pie… wuh?!" Rainbow Dash was clearly caught off guard, expecting neither to be woken up nor to witness her Earth Pony friend soaring rapidly towards her. Rainbow Dash had quick reflexes though, and she easily dodged the careening Pinkie Pie. Once Pinkie had passed her, she immediately dived so that she could catch her falling friend. She did so easily, and a few moments later they were both safely on the ground.

"WHAT IN THE HECK WERE YOU DOING?!" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"Trying to wake you up! Looks like it worked!" Pinkie Pie beamed from ear to ear.

Rainbow was too tired to respond, verbally or emotionally, to the events that had just transpired. She sighed.

"…okay Pinkie Pie. What's up this time?" Rainbow asked, trying to keep the exasperation from her voice.

The note of annoyance was not lost on Pinkie Pie, but she pretended not to notice.

"It's SOO exciting! There's this program called Harmonious Science and it sounds like THE COOLEST THING EVER and Twilight says that with a little bit of studying I should be able to get in and then I'll learn stuff about SPACE and TONS OF OTHER THINGS and I'll meet lots of new ponies and it'll be SO MUCH FUN!"

"Okay, let me break that down… Twilight's going to help you study to get into egghead school? And you think it's going to be fun? Why in Equestria would you be interested in such a thing?"

Pinkie Pie deflated a little bit.

"You know what Twilight's always saying about '_the value of education_' and this is my chance to learn some REALLY COOL stuff!"

"I still don't get why you wanna be a major egghead all of a sudden" Dash said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She figured this was just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. _This'll all blow over soon. There's no way she's serious_.

Pinkie could tell that Rainbow Dash wasn't taking her seriously.

"Well, maybe I want to be more than just a pastry chef… maybe I don't want to just be 'silly, frivolous Pinkie Pie' for the rest of my life. Maybe I want to say that I'm accomplishing something, just like everypony else is, and maybe I'm tired of _not being taken seriously _by **anypony**".

Rainbow Dash was utterly floored.

She stood there in stunned silence for at least a minute before she managed a reply.

"I'm sorry Pinkie. I just thought you were happy with the way things are…"

"It's okay, Dashie. It's just that I don't want to get stuck in a rut, while the rest of you are going on to bigger and better things. You're going to the Wonderbolts Academy, and that's amazing! I want to be able to do something amazing too…"

"Well Pinkie, I'm sure you're going to be awesome at whatever it is you're trying to do. Because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that Pinkie Pie doesn't do things halfway". Rainbow glanced meaningfully at the cannon.

"Thanks Dashie!" Pinkie Pie smiled. "I should probably get back to Sugar Cube Corner. See you later!"

Although Pinkie had a bit of work that she had agreed to do for The Cakes, she mostly wanted to start preparing so that she'd be ready for Twilight's first review session. She didn't want to look like a fool in front of Twilight, that was for sure.

Pinkie was beyond ecstatic about having these review sessions with Twilight. There was something about being around Twilight that made her feel excitable beyond belief. Sometimes she felt like her face might fall off from the sheer force of the Twilight-induced smiles. At first, Pinkie hadn't thought anything of it. _Of course being around Twilight makes me happy… she's my friend!_ Over time, however, Pinkie started to notice that her opinions of Twilight were a bit disproportionately favourable. _Twilight is the smartest, prettiest, nicest pony ever!_ Sometimes Pinkie swore that half the time she did or said ridiculous things, it was in an effort to make Twilight smile, specifically.

She hadn't talked to anyone about her feelings. Pinkie had no intention of talking to Twilight about them; she could tell that Twilight didn't feel the same way. What was the point in making Twilight feel awkward?

"Alright!" Pinkie grabbed her _Beginner's Guide for Preparing for the SEAT._

"Let's see what this test is all about!"

Pinkie began to read:

_The Standard Education Admissions Test (SEAT) is a standardized test required for many educational programs. The test is a predictor of student success. It is expected that those who perform well on the SEAT will also perform well in their future studies. _

_The SEAT has three main sections: the analytical writing section, the quantitative reasoning section and the verbal reasoning section. The analytical writing section requires an essay response to a given issue. This section tests a pony's writing abilities, and their ability to form a cohesive argument. The quantitative reasoning section focuses on mathematical relations. Although former training in mathematics is not required to perform well in this section, a pony must demonstrate an aptitude for working with numbers. The verbal reasoning section assesses a pony's grasp on language. Examples of problems found in this section include antonyms, analogies and sentence completion tasks. _

Pinkie felt the blood drain from her face.

"All of that sounds _really_ complicated…"

Disheartened, Pinkie tossed the book aside.

"Twilight's really going to have her work cut out for her, preparing me for something like that". Pinkie then smiled.

"But, if anyone can help me prepare, it's definitely Twilight!"


End file.
